Helping men to correct their machismo or toxic masculinity

Macho men are sensitized through workshops to the fact that there are other ways to be men. Male masculinity is a model of toxic masculinity that takes years off their life expectancy; it implies challenges that can be lethal. Behind some types of violence in the country, such as femicides, homicides, and sexual violence, there are problems of machismo or toxic masculinity, which are based on erroneous cultural messages related to power and what it means to be a man.

This, according to Gonzalo Soltero, an academic from the National School of Higher Studies (ENES) León unit of the UNAM, who together with graduates from the Intercultural Development and Management degree program of that academic institution, offer masculinity workshops to young men in conflict with the law -who are in specialized treatment centers or communities- in Mexico City and León, Guanajuato.

Through artistic and cultural activities, such as the screening of films or the discussion of musical pieces, among others, they encourage them to question toxic or violent masculinity, to express their emotions, and to generate empathy with the victims of violence. "The idea is precisely to try to break the mold of hegemonic masculinity," said the doctor in Cultural Policy Studies. In society, the male sex has "orders" or "mandates" related to autonomy, being self-sufficient and not seeking help or not expressing emotions, "being tough"; as well as promiscuity and hypersexualization, he explained.

These workshops, he added, are a joint strategy between ENES León and the University of Warwick, Great Britain. They are also part of the Project Bank of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations (UN). Their objective is to know the perceptions that the participants have about the family, society; in addition, they discuss what a man is, when they were formed as such and what makes them more men.

What is it to be a man?

The participants' answers are focused on the pattern of hegemonic masculinity. Being a man is related to a middle or upper-class person, generally white, a provider for his family, and who has power, the university expert emphasized.

"We were very struck by the fact that he is personified as an architect, a successful professional. There is also a lot of pressure to be a provider, often this ends up encouraging violence because we have structural conditions that do not facilitate men to fulfill this role, with unemployment, poor wages, very long hours and can facilitate, for example, trying to have capital, through crime, "he said.

After multiple dynamics and the application of questionnaires, the university students detected that for the participants the beginning of being a man occurs with the beginning of sexual life and accumulation dynamics intervene. The conclusion we came to is that what makes a man more of a man has to do with this accumulation of bodies that are left behind, either as sexual partners or even as rivals. "This idea has been with us since the warrior civilizations," he emphasized.

It is also related to having "watered" children since fertility is understood as a letter of masculinity to be accepted, to show how much of a man one is. In contrast, whoever is more like a woman is not a man; that is, the feminine cannot be masculine, and there is the idea that it is not a man who attacks or does not defend them. "This is interesting because there is a notion of values that are not fulfilled and, in some cases, maybe the reasons why these young men are in the centers," added Gonzalo Soltero.

Seeking equity

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the UN includes, among its objectives, achieving greater equality for women. "It seems clear to us that until we can eliminate this machismo in Mexican society, it will be very difficult to achieve this equity," said the expert. He clarified that it is not masculinity in itself that is wrong, but violent, macho masculinity that is related to harassment, discrimination, gender violence and is not so easy to modify.

Another objective has to do with reducing inequalities, which is why, together with his team, he works to sensitize workshop attendees to the fact that there are other ways of being men and that it does not lead to an affliction. "This model of masculinity (macho, toxic) is what takes several years off the life expectancy of men compared to women and has to do with challenges that, at times, can be lethal; it has to do with this pressure of autonomy that leads to the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs that can bring this loss of years of life and even contribute to suicide," he emphasized.

In conclusion, Gonzalo Soltero explained that these workshops also seek to contribute to peace, justice and promote the strengthening of solid institutions and respect for the rule of law, which contributes to reducing the level of violence and mortality rates.